The Complete Photo Guide to Beading Giveaway

This week's giveaway is the new book from Robin Atkins "The Complete Photo Guide to Beading".  You can check out Robin's blog here.





This book shows you all the techniques with step by step pictures of not only jewelery making but weaving, stringing, and using beads in embroidery.

It is an 8 X 10 soft cover with 244 pages. Suggested retail is $24.99 US or $27.99 Can.

It showcases 28 projects as well as tips on choosing the best tools and materials for your future bead projects.


















I particularly like the embroidery ideas.  I would love to add beading to a painted canvas.


So I have 2 of these books to giveaway.  If you are interested in winning a copy please enter in one of the following ways:

- leave a comment on this post
- like or leave a comment on my Facebook page regarding this post
- send me an email at thatartistwoman@shaw.ca

US or Canadian residents only.  I will make the draw on Friday Dec 7th/12 so get your entries in by Thursday 11:59 pm.

Good luck everyone!



Thanks to my friends at Creative Publishing International for sponsoring this giveaway.

Folk Art Angels

Folk Art Angels are irresistibly cute.

I was watching 'Tootsie' on TV last week and there was a Folk Art Angel in Jessica Lange's character's apartment.  That's it, I thought, time to give them a try!

Now this version is made from cardboard.

This one is done on paper.  Both use the same template and are easy to put together.

You can make them as elaborate as you want.
















MATERIALS NEEDED:

- template  (Folk Art Angels)
- corrugated cardboard or heavy paper, book pages
- scissors
- paint, acrylic or tempera
- fine sharpies, gold and silver sharpie (optional)
- tacky glue
- wire
- glitter glue
- black crayon for paper stars
- sequins, beads, stars or gems
- feathers or garland for hair
- popsicle sticks for hand and feet


PROCEDURE:

Cardboard Version:

Print off my template, (Folk Art Angels).  Trace and cut out pieces from corrugated cardboard.

If you are using recycled cardboard with images on it you might want to prime your pieces first.  I also prime any pieces I'm going to be using metallic paints on as they tend to be quite translucent.

Paint your pieces in their final colours.

Using fine sharpies, (they have them in gold and silver too!), glitter, and paint add some fine details.

I used an end of a paintbrush in paint to make all the dots.

Add sequins, gems, beads or whatever you have on hand to embellish your angel.

For the face I painted it flesh toned.  I added two pink circles to the cheeks.  With a fine sharpie I added the face.

I used feathers for the hair which were glued on with tacky glue.

For the hand and the 2 feet I painted the ends of popsicle sticks. 

For the star halo I painted 2 cardboard stars yellow, added glitter and gems.

I took a piece of wire and glued it between the two like a sandwich.

I then slid the wire between the corrugations in the cardboard head. 

Glue all the pieces together.






The last thing you need to do is glue a skewer to the back.

You now have a great decoration to stick into a potted poinsettia or Christmas arrangement.












Paper Version:

For the paper version you need to paint a background.  Here I taped off a piece of wc paper onto an art board.  I then painted on purple, blue and a little black using disk tempera.



Set aside to dry.








Cut your template (Folk Art Angel) pieces out of heavy paper.  I used an old brown paper bag.


I used book pages for the stars.

I painted all my pieces and set them aside to dry.


Then I started decorating.  I used reinforcements, sharpies, and sequins in my design.

For the stars I used a technique I have described before.  I outline the edges with a little black crayon and then add some glitter.

When the background is dry glue your pieces into place.  For this version I cut the hand and feet out of the same brown paper.


For the hair I added a little silver garland.

Lastly I drew in a wand with silver sharpie and added a silver star.

That's it!





These angels are just too cute!  I plan on making up a mini version as a tree ornament for the kids to make at our Annual Christmas Craft Day.  It is fast approaching and I'm knee deep in the preparations.  (150 kids, 12 crafts, one terrific morning of craftiness!)


Be sure to check out this week's giveaway on Wednesday's post and I'll see you then.

Easy Wreath Ideas

Here are a couple of simple wreath ideas that can add just the right touch to your holiday decorating this year.

Your kids can whip them up in no time with supplies you already have on hand.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- cardboard
- 2 round containers for tracing, one small, one larger
- pencil, scissors
- fleecy "fake" snow from the dollar store, you want the fabric not the loose stuff.  You could also use white felt.
- tacky glue
- heavy posterboard or bristol
- template if needed
- watercolor pan paints, tempera, or even colored pencils
- a little glitter glue
- a few sequins, beads, gems or other embellishments
- ribbon or string for hanging


PROCEDURE:

Trace out a wreath shape using 2 round objects.

Cut out.

Take your fleece or 'snow' fabric and cut into strips.





Put some tacky glue on your cardboard wreath.

Put the end of one strip in the glue and start wrapping around the cardboard.

Continue wrapping and gluing as you go. 

I find the Dollar Store "snow" fabric sticks quite easily.  With felt you may need to clip on a few clothespins to keep the strips in place until the glue sets up.

While the wreath is drying sketch or trace out your shapes on heavy posterboard or bristol.




If you want to use my shapes check out my template HERE.

Paint on a little colour.  Use some fine sharpie for outlining and details.





Add some glitter.




Cut out.




A nice way to add definition to your shapes is to add some black on the edges.  I use a black crayon.  Place your shape on top of a piece of paper and then rub a little crayon right on the edge of your shape.


You can see by the 2 stars what a difference it makes.

For the butterfly I added some antennae, which are little wires you use when making flowers.  You can just use some fine wire.

I also added some gems to the stars.

Glue your shapes onto your wreath.  The fuzzy fabric makes gluing things on a snap!


Add a ribbon or string for hanging.

For my bluejay wreath I added some fir garland.

I also added some sequins and beads for a little extra.

That's it.



More holiday ideas to come.

CD Book and Giveaway Results

Well it's been one of those weeks....crazy busy and I totally missed the Friday post with the Giveaway winner.  My apologies, the winner will be announced at the end of this post.







This is a cute little book that fits in a CD cover. 

When you open it up the CD case keeps it standing upright for display.

You can click on the photo to see larger.











MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- CD case
- regular copier paper, 11x17 works well if you have it
- ruler
- scissors
- glue stick
- assorted scrap papers
- embellishments
- tacky glue
- liquid and disk tempera

PROCEDURE:

You have to make some careful measurements when making this book.  You want the book to fit perfectly in the case so you can close it.

Measure the dimensions of the case excluding the spine and take a 1/8 to a 1/4 of an inch off those dimensions.

Here I took a sheet of 11x17 paper and cut 2 strips that are 12x36 cm or 4 3/4"x 13 3/4".  This makes a 5 page book not counting the front cover.

Fold each strip into 3.

Using a glue stick glue the last page of one strip to the first page of the other strip.

You want them to completely cover one another.

Your book should fit perfectly in your CD case.  In order for it to close the paper must be under those little plastic flaps at the top and bottom of the case.

I prefer not to secure the front page to the case, like by taping or gluing, as this can make it harder to close.  When you open the book you just slide that front page back in place if needed.

For the front cover of this "SNOW" book I painted the paper blue, added some snow drifts with some paper that had white streamer glued to it as well as some newspaper that was painted white and then coated with glitter glue.

The letters were cut from white paper and outlined on the edges with silver sharpie.

I punched some holes out of white paper and glued those on for the snow.

When the cover is dry paint the backgrounds for the pages on the other side.  I did a light blue with dots made in white paint and the end of a paintbrush.

Darker blue with white circles from a toilet roll stamped in white paint.
Grey with painted on glitter.
Purple with white paint dropped in with an eye dropper and then blown with a straw for some snow covered trees.  Finally I used a white crayon to make some snow drifts, made dots in the sky with it as well and then painted in a sunset.  The crayon resisted the paint to make it look like it was snowing.



I glued on some snowflakes for the first page.  A little snowman made from painted paper scraps for the third, and then added text printed out from the computer and the cut and glued into place.

Embellish if you wish just choose fairly flat items so you can still close that case.

Now the giveaway winner for "Drawing Comics Lab" by Robyn Chapman.  A new release from Quarry Books.

I had 82 total entries and the winner by random draw is:

Here are your random numbers:

35

Timestamp: 2012-11-26 05:42:26 UTC

which is Lisa Wood who sent me this email:

"I would love a chance to win the Comics Lab book. Thanks for this new idea. I'm sure the students in my class would love it."

Congratulations Lisa and thanks everyone for entering.  Sorry again for the delay.